Booze reviews...#7, #8 and yes #9

(no it's not for a fruit salad - fresh ingredients for delicious cocktails!)

The week ended on a very HIGH note. It's great to know that I was going to be meeting with my girls later that night for a few cocktails after a very stressful work week. I was even more excited to meet at my favorite bar in the Financial District, SF - Rickhouse. I love hanging out at this place - it's got a bit of a Speakeasy feel and you are surrounded by whisky barrels and endless whisky, scotch and other spirits you are probably unfamiliar with all around you.

YES, aside from Sephora, this place makes me happy!

First drink of the night:

The Kentucky Buck
A bourbon cocktail also contains fresh muddled strawberries, fresh lemon juice, angostura bitters and topped with ginger beer. This may be my favorite cocktail - I need to learn to make this on my own. It's a great balance between sweet, tart and smooth bourbon.


My second drink is this below:

I really wished I heard what the bartenders said when he told me what this was. I was looking to keep in the bourbon theme and when asked if I wanted to keep it sweet and fruity or something like a classic Manhattan and I opted for the Manhattan theme. That's another cocktail I just can't say no to. So this is just like a Manhattan but I felt like I tasted more of an orange hint to it. I don't know if it was a bitter that I was not familiar thrown into it or if the giant orange zest had anything to do with it but that's what elevated this Manhattan like cocktail. The GIANT ice cube helped! I think I'll just stick to a regular Maker's Manhattan.

This was my friends drink:

The Berry Bramble - I believe you can either choose gin or vodka and she chose vodka I believe. Doesn't it look like Hawaiian shaved ice but a fancier and alcoholic version of it?

This was my last and I was not disappointed by it one bit. Again, under the bartender's recommendation this is The High Plains Drifter (named after the Clint Eastwood western, 1973). Don't let the feminine glass fool you. This is a Rye Whisky cocktail. Other than rye - it has angostura bitters, an Italian bitter, sarsaparilla and grapefruit juice. I would definitely drink it again and I was pleased to know that the very attractive blonde bartender in front of me created it. I kept giving her accolades because I was that proud of her!

Please don't make me choose between this and my Kentucky Buck!! We ended the night at another bar/club, John Collins. I cut myself off and helped myself to a Korean taco truck - mediocre at best but at least it sopped up some of the alcohol.

It was a great night with my girlfriends and I didn't go to bed till almost 3am. The Mimosa at Brunch helped me get things moving along on Saturday!